Author
Topic: Digital Media Backup (Read 2234 times)

I current use an on site server and SOS online backup but I find my collection growing to large for what they want to charge for the next tier. What are you using out there to backup your digital collection of stills and video?

I import to my MBP and make a backup right then to a different temporary drive. I then backup my MBP as well before formatting the CF or SD cards. This leaves three copies (MBP, external drive, and MBP backup on separate external).

When I'm finished with the edits, I transfer the images to my 'archive', a RAID-1 FireWire drive, and also to an external drive that I keep off-site.

So.

1: Take pics! CF/SD - one copy at this point (or two with the dual slot in the 5DM3 or similar)2: Import to computer and make external backup - 3 copies at this point (CF card, computer, external drive)3: Backup computer to separate drive - 4 copies at this point (CF, computer, external, different external)4: Format CF/SD cards - 3 copies5: Edit images6: Move images from computer to RAID drive when finished and also copy images to permanent external drive used for storage. You can then reuse the temporary drives and computer backup drives as they fill. This leaves you with 3 copies (two on the RAID and one permanent external that is kept off-site).

« Last Edit: April 06, 2012, 11:08:30 AM by msdarkroom »

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prestonpalmer

1. Image is written to TWO memory cards, 1 CF and 1 SD2. Cards are transferred to computer, then immediately start uploading to CrashPlan3. Time Machine starts to back them up4. The ORIGINAL files are copied to my DROBO (dual disk redundancy)5. the SD/CF cards that have the original images are not overwritten until images are delivered to client.

I highly recommend you checkout CrashPlan for data storage. Its a FANTASTIC product. So easy to use and super reliable. Oh, I should mention that once my Drobo has the wedding images, its mirrored to a 2nd drobo. So images are always onsite in multiple locations, and online. Lots of redundancy is gooooood!

Save on main PC, regular backup to my RAID box via eSATA, then less regular back up via an eSATA external 1TB drive that is collected from the parents house several miles away and returned the same day... Short of a nuke hitting Sheffield, I've got a copy of the majority of my data.

I also use a 256bit encrypted USB stick - 16GB to also back up daily changes of my data, which includes my locally stored Outlook .pst, my recent data and my business financial records.